Speaking of ignitions...

[Sixty8panther]

Refresher:

(I posted this trivia about a year ago)

Why do Porsches have the ignition located on the LEFT hand side in left hand drive cars? There's a specific ergonomic reason for this.

I have a feeeling JamesB, Razor, GT1750 or one of the other Euro-car nuts will know.

Lovin all these new smileys.

[Newbiewar]

Refresher:

(I posted this trivia about a year ago)

Why do Porsches have the ignition located on the LEFT hand side in left hand drive cars? There's a specific ergonomic reason for this.

I have a feeeling JamesB, Razor, GT1750 or one of the other Euro-car nuts will know. 

Lovin all these new smileys.

so that you could put the key in while you were getting in the vehicle?

[Mach5GTP]

So you can look thru the window to see that you left the keys in the ignition after you locked and closed the door?

Serious: so you can pull the trans out of gear while starting the engine?

[Satty]

Was Ferdinand Porsche left handed?

[NOS2006]

Mach5's right.. I had to look it up.

[Sixty8panther]

Mach5's right.. I had to look it up.

Newbiewar has scratched the surface of ther answer but you guys are not really getting at the WHY and HOW of the answer. It's a very specific benefit that was enginered into Porsches early on.

HINT: Porsche has done very well for itself in a particular famous motorsport event.

[Jamie]

Specifically engineered for Le Mans starts. It allows simultaneous starting and gear selection.

It's something that drives me nuts when I drive in the US. Over here, the ignition switch is on the right and you shift with your left hand ... you can start a car and select a gear simultaneously.

[Newbiewar]

Specifically engineered for Le Mans starts. It allows simultaneous starting and gear selection.

It's something that drives me nuts when I drive in the US. Over here, the ignition switch is on the right and you shift with your left hand ... you can start a car and select a gear simultaneously.

haha, i tried to look it up and as far as i got, is whens the last time you started your le mans... i didnt understand it any further then that

[Jamie]

The Wikipedia article on Le Mans explains the Le Mans start and specifically mentions the Porsche ignition switch.

[Sixty8panther]

Starting gun goes off and it's time to run into your car and try to be one of the furst ones to pull out: key in one hand shifter in the other as your right foot hits the floor.

I forget who it was, perhaps Andaretti, that mentioned in a R&T article how he was doing like 200mph in his GT40 on the straightaway before he finally hasd a chance to buckle his seatbelt. I beleive this is the reason the runnig start was eliminated.

Probably a good idea to be buckled in before you do 200mph in a Porsche 917 ro whatever.

Edited February 15, 2006 by Sixty8panther

[Newbiewar]

Starting gun goes off and it's time to run into your car and try to be one of the furst ones to pull out: key in one hand shifter in the other as your right foot hits the floor.

I forget who it was, perhaps Andaretti, that mentioned in a R&T article how he was doing like 200mph in his GT40 on the straightaway before he finally hasd a chance to buckle his seatbelt. I beleive this is the reason the runnig start was eliminated.

Probably a good idea to be buckled in before you do 200mph in a Porsche 917 ro whatever.

where were the seat belts that go on as you close your door?

[Sixty8panther]

God I hate those effin things. I remember when some Broad who worked with my mom bought a nasty (not in a good way) 1991 Mitsubishi Galant with those... they were so retarded. I've owned a few cars with them and I can honestly say it's a trend I hope never comes back. Esp. if you still have to buckle your lap belt. God what a waste of resources, money and all that extra weight & potential breakage is so not worth it.

The real kicker is the first time you bang your head against it and see for a few minutes while you're wipping off scalp, hair and blood off the corner fo the anchor.

WTF was up wiht those concave body panels on those anyway? Who thought that looked good?

I guess Ford did since they used that caved-in body panel style on the Taurus/Sable.

[tmp]

God I hate those effin things. I remember when some Broad who worked with my mom bought a nasty (not in a good way) 1991 Mitsubishi Galant with those... they were so retarded. I've owned a few cars with them and I can honestly say it's a trend I hope never comes back.

It was a way for manufacturers to cheap out on not having airbags. The government gave manufacturers a couple of years where they could have some sort of passive safety system, and this was one of the ones that were acceptable until the year they had to have airbags.

The other was the ones where both lap and seat belt were anchored to the door.

Convertibles were exempt.

Edited February 27, 2006 by tmp

[capriceman]

yeah my whole seat belt system is in the door.